Check Your Thread: Sewing More Sustainably

Most of us think of sashiko as a type of visible mending that we discovered via Instagram or Pinterest. But what actually is sashiko, and how should we engage with it? Is it an artform to be revered and put on display? A common household practice borne out of necessity, used for survival? Is it a form of meditation? Or some lovely hand stitching patterns we can emulate to fix and customise our jeans? Atsushi Futatsuya, is a sashiko practitioner and story teller who helps fill in the blanks in our knowledge about this fascinating and multilayered practice. 

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Photo by Kim Lightbody.

Atsushi Futatsuya has a website and can be followed on Instagram @sashikostory. 

You can also watch his videos on YouTube. 

There are three ways to take a class with Atsushi:

• In-person in the US. 
• Online as a mix of recorded and live sessions. 
• Recorded online introductory course via Domestika.  

Check out where to order Atsushi’s new book, ‘Sashiko: The Untold Story’, around the world. 

There are lots of online marketplaces out there through which you can sell or give away your unwanted crafting materials, but they all have their drawbacks. Destasher is a new UK -based platform JUST for sewists and yarn crafters wanting to buy, sell, giveaway or claim materials and supplies within the maker community. Its creator, Caroline, tells me what makes Destasher such a great option for those of us trying to make more sustainably and affordably.

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Check out and sign up to the Destasher website and follow them on Instagram @destasher_uk. 

Makers’ accounts that Caroline is inspired by:

• @madebysjp
• @afrayedupcycling

She's just so fun and inventive. And I really loved her YouTube video where she talks about sewing being a form of rebellion.

• @_lostfabric

Creates gorgeous jackets from old sleeping bags, blankets, and pre-owned materials, also offers the Boxy Jacket pattern.

• @sleepyrabbitdesigns

Revolutionising children's fashion by recycling fabrics to create gorgeous gender neutral clothing as unique and fun as little ones.

• @oneofsixdesign

Sustainable sewing and creative workshops for all ages in Walthamstow.

• @littlebrowndogvintage

Handmade, one-of-a kind garments, all made by Nancy in Suffolk from vintage and rescued fabrics that have had a previous life.

• @mcbeebags

Specialising in making bags and accessories using vintage fabrics.

I love hearing and reading practical tips for how to stay creative when your budget is tight. But what is rarely acknowledged in those types of content is how rubbish and frustrating trying to maintain a creative hobby when you’re skint actually feels. In this episode, we acknowledge and gently challenge some of those negative feelings, so that applying those practical tips feels positive and rewarding. 

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Image source: Sasun Bughdaryanvia Unsplash

Other episodes to listen to related to this topic include:

• Ep. #58: Sewing On a Budget
• Ep. #64: Sewing Trends More Sustainably
• Ep. #145: 5 Simple Tactics to Save on Sewing
• Ep. #173: Quilting Through Burnout with Radha Weaver
• Ep. #183: Get Your Stash Sorted!
• Ep. #195: Introduction to Pattern Hacking

Download the free Seasonal Stash Guide.

Check out my Free Pattern Friday blog post series. 

The next installment of the SIDDI tour with Jeanna and Mary. I speak to Charlotte from Stitched Up - a Manchester-based not-for-profit with the goal of building an alternative fashion future by sharing sewing, mending and upcycling skills, and facilitating clothing swaps and textile recycling. I spoke to Charlotte Vinsen who freelances with Stitched Up, about what Stitched Up do, how it works and who it’s for. I also catch up with Jeanna and Mary after they deliver their first interactive talk, and we debrief on what went down and what went well. 

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Charlotte Vinsen freelances at Stitched Up. Follow Stitched Up on Instagram @stitchedupcoop and Charlotte @charlottevinsen. 

The Stitched Up team are (l-r) Winona, Sarah, Charlotte, Katy & Bryony:

Jeanna Wigger can be found @thepeoplesmending on Instagram. Jeanna also has an excellent Substack. 

Mary Morton can be found @edinburghstreetstitchers and @mvm13 on Instagram.

Mary volunteers at the Shrub Coop, a ZW charity based in Edinburgh, Scotland (@shrubcoop on Instagram). 

Listen to my previous conversations with Jeanna and Mary:

• Ep. #115: Winter of Care and Repair with Jeanna Wigger
• Ep. #132: A Season of Mending with Jeanna Wigger
• Ep. #135: How to Triage Your Mends with Jeanna Wigger
• Ep. #163: How to Effect Change This Winter with Jeanna Wigger
• Ep. #190: The Four Tendencies and Sewing with Jeanna, Kim & Lise 
• Ep. #191: Stitch it, Don’t Ditch it with Mary Morton & Jeanna Wigger
• Ep. #208: Challenging Consumption and Perfectionism with Jeanna Wigger
• Ep. #217: Mending for Mental Wellbeing with Rebecca from The Big Fandango

Find their awesome book, ‘Stitch it, Don't Ditch it’.

Mary and Jeanna giving their interactive talk and triaging the damaged items brought by attendees:

In recent years there’s been a growing amount of research and understanding around neurodiversity: the variety of ways in which different people’s brains and nervous systems work. With more and more people getting formerly diagnosed, or at least identifying as being neurospicy to some degree, regular guest, Kim Witten, who is a coach, writer and one of my cleverest friends, is back on the podcast to explore what it means to be neurodivergent, and how neurodivergence intersects with craft. We consider if and how neurodiversity might affect someone’s engagement with craft, and also the role that craft might have in functioning well as a neurodivergent person. 

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

You can find my other podcast, ‘Can I Dig It? Food Growing for Busy People’, wherever you listen to podcasts. 

Kim Witten (@witten.kim on IG) is a transformational coach and writer:

She has appeared on the following previous episodes:

• Ep. #71: Making Personal Manifestos with Kim Witten
• Ep. #91: Self Knowledge for Sewing Success with Kim Witten
• Ep. #92: Self Coaching for Sewing Success with Kim Witten
• Ep. #110: Zoe & Kim go to the Stitch Festival
• Ep. #162: How to Solve Your Next Sewing Problem with Kim Witten
• Ep. #190: Sewing and the Four Tendencies with Jeanna, Kim & Lise

What are the biggest challenges AND the biggest joys of running a business making products from upcycled textiles? Legendary guest interviewer, Kat Camfield, has rounded up three intensely talented Canadian upcyclers: Brynn from B-Bot Clothing, Emily from Woodbrick and Meagan from Salt Legacy. We hear how they each started their businesses and their different approaches to the same problem: trying to divert textile waste from landfill. They all share tips and advice, including sourcing secrets for others wanting to get into upcycling, either for themselves or to start a business. 

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Want to learn more about the Me-Made-May challenge? Check out:

• Ep. #177: Me-Made-May Explained in Under 5 Minutes

You can also find the very-optional-but-very-helpful Me-Made-May Workbook. 

Kat Camfield is a sewing teacher and sewing retreat organiser living in Victoria, Canada. You can follow Kat on Instagram @cooperativekatsews. 

Hear Kat on previous episodes of CYT:

• Ep. #196: Eco Printing - Kat Camfield with Carly from Lorelei Textile Design
• Ep. #200: Making Check Your Thread - with Zoe & Kat, Part 1
• Ep. #201: Making Check Your Thread - with Zoe & Kat, Part 2
• Ep. #204: The Sewing Machine, A Novel - Kat Camfield with Natalie Fergie 
• Ep. #214: Is Inclusivity Enough? - Kat Camfield with Frances from Sincere Studio 

Meagan’s business is Salt Legacy. You can follow them on Instagram @saltlegacy: 

Brynn’s business is B-Bot Clothing. You can follow them on Instagram @bbotclothing: 

Emily’s business is Woodbrick. You can follow them on Instagram @woodbrick:

Brynn creates incredible upcycled sweaters (for example) with their ‘schtick’ being adding denim sleeves. Brynn also makes pouffe shells that can be stuffed with textile waste, and also sells the sewing pattern so you can make one yourself:

Woodbrick’s core products are crescent bags and fanny packs (for example) for kids and adults. Jackets made from upcycled textiles, including quilts, have also become very popular with their clients:

Meagan’s business, Salt Legacy, creates a range of durable bags and accessories from unwanted boat sails. Popular items include their signature tote bag design:

Listen to the previous episode about sizing adaptive and inclusive sewing patterns:

• Ep. #219: Flux-Friendly Sewing Patterns with Sasha Starlight

No one should feel obligated to use their sewing skills and free time for anything they don’t want to use them for. However, if funds are tight, you might decide to look into how sewing can save, or even make, some money. In this episode you’ll hear from some members of the CYT Patreon community and subscribers to the CYT newsletter, about how they save money, and also make money, with sewing. If it’s something you’ve been thinking about, this episode is bound to provide inspiration. 

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Image source: Pierre Bamin via Unsplash

Also listen to the following related episodes:

• Ep. #57: Can Sewing Save You Money?
• Ep. #58: Sewing on a Budget

Sandra recommended the @sparklesewing YouTube channel on YT for advice on wedding dress alterations.

Learn to draft sewing patterns to sell via:

• Pattern Lab London (plus their YouTube channel)
• Lydia Sews Things

It is inevitable that our body’s shape and size will fluctuate over time, be that over the course of a day, a week, a month or a number of years. As more-sustainable sewists who want to get a lot of use from the items we make, we should be factoring in these body changes when planning our projects. So does that mean that everything we make should look like a potato sack? Pattern designer, Sasha Starlight, explains why the answer is NO! In this episode, Sasha describes some of the different attributes a sewing project can have to be flux friendly, and talks us through some unexpected benefits of using adjustable, adaptable, flexibly sized sewing patterns. By the end of this episode I’m sure you’re going to be super inspired to get making with your future comfort in mind. 

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Full descriptions of Sasha’s patterns can be found on her website and bought through her Etsy shop. 

Follow Sasha on Instagram (@sasha__starlight) and enjoy her video content on YouTube channel (@sashastarlight).

I made the Palazzo Pants pattern:

Listen to the previous episodes discussing sewing with shape and size fluctuation in mind:

• Ep. #72: Sewing for Body Changes
• Ep. #76: Sewing for Body Changes, Part 2

The Rhapsody Dress pattern is Sasha’s most recent release:

The Burnside Bibs pattern by Sew House Seven offers adaptability for both size and style. 

Sasha and I were discussing pants waist tightener pins. 

Do you fancy a fun catch up with repeat guest Lise Bauer? Of course you do! In this episode we find out what has changed with Lise’s relationship with her fabric stash, and we both make confessions regarding recent fabric purchases. Lise also makes a strong case for attending a Frocktails event, and suggests a different way to engage with social media. 

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

The costumes made by my big kid:

Find Lise and the Last Sewist Standing challenge updates at @the.craft.camp on Instagram. 

You can sign up to this year’s round of Last Sewist Standing via the sign-up post on Instagram. 

Check out Lise’s personal account @miss.taeschli on Instagram.

Listen to Lise discuss the challenge in the previous episode:

• Ep. #118: Last Sewist Standing with Lise Bauer
• Ep. #189: Are Zoe & Lise still in Last Sewist Standing

Other episodes of CYT mentioned in this episode:

• Ep. #207: Style Shifts and Sustainability with Lindsay Ashworth Fraser
• Ep. #207: Style Shifts and Sustainability with Lindsay Ashworth Fraser

The dress I made with the sleeves from the synthetic fabric from Walthamstow:

Find out about The Swiss Frocktails event via Instagram @swiss.frocktails and get tickets via Eventbrite.

Lise is organising Swiss Frocktails with Rebekka @gemeine_wildrebe and Benja @onweekends. 

Maker Alexandria Arnold @alexandria_arnold hosts a regular knit night in London.  

All of us are aware of and enjoy many of the mental health benefits of crafting, making and mending. Rebecca Jackson understands this better than most, having experienced one of the worst things someone can go through. It led her to set up The Big Fandango five years ago in Bury, just outside Manchester in the UK. The Big Fandango is a social enterprise with workshop space that creates and nurtures community and positive mental health through learning sewing and textiles craft skills, whilst also delivering suicide prevention training to businesses and organisations. 

You will also hear from Jeanna Wigger and Mary Morton, authors of the awesome mending book, ‘Stitch It, Don’t Ditch It’, who were delivering a mending workshop as part of their North of England book tour a couple of weeks ago. 

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Rebecca Jackson founded The Big Fandango, a social enterprise based in Bury, Manchester, UK. 

Listen to my episode with Jeanna and Mary about their amazing book:

• Ep. #191: Stitch it, Don’t Ditch it with Mary Morton and Jeanna Wigger

Jeanna Wigger can be found @thepeoplesmending on Instagram. Jeanna also has an excellent Substack. 

Mary Morton can be found @edinburghstreetstitchers and @mvm13 on Instagram

Listen to my other previous conversations with Jeanna:

• Ep. #115: Winter of Care and Repair with Jeanna Wigger
• Ep. #132: A Season of Mending with Jeanna Wigger
• Ep. #135: How to Triage Your Mends with Jeanna Wigger
• Ep. #163: How to Effect Change This Winter with Jeanna Wigger
• Ep. #190: The Four Tendencies and Sewing with Jeanna, Kim & Lise 
• Ep. #208: Challenging Consumption and Perfectionism with Jeanna Wigger

Mary volunteers at the Shrub Coop, a ZW charity based in Edinburgh, Scotland (@shrubcoop on Instagram). 

Find their book, ‘Stitch it, Don't Ditch it’. 

Mary and Jeanna regularly recommend the ‘Repair What You Wear’ website to would-be menders. Also @RepairWhatYouWear on YouTube, and in this episode mentioned their videos on how to thread a needle easily for right handed people and for left handed people. 

It seems like every day, another small craft business announces that it’s closing down. In this solo episode I’m looking at the causes. What can we do to both support small businesses AND buy less new stuff for the sake of our planet?

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Image source: Tim Mossholder via Unsplash

Find out more about the Last Sewist Standing challenge:

• Ep. #118: Last Sewist Standing with Lise Bauer

This Forbes article, ‘The Benefits Of Shopping Small All Year Long’ by Jim Granat, was really interesting. 

The shoplocaluk.org website has some more useful information. 

I used the definition of the cost of living crisis from this fuelgenie.co.uk article. 

Enjoy Gina Ferrari’s Substack. 

You’ll have heard me say it a ton of times before: sewing clothes yourself isn’t necessarily the most sustainable way to clothe yourself or your family. But obviously, you’ll be prizing my sewing machine out of my cold, dead hands. However, with literal mountains of existing garments already in the world, there are plenty of other ways to source clothing with a reduced environmental and social impact. In this episode, I speak with Izzie Eriksen, founding director of a Glasgow-based social enterprise called ApparelXchange, about the various ways we can clothe our young people more sustainably. We also hear what ApparelXchange is doing to tackle child poverty AND nurture their local community. 

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Izzie Eriksen is the founding director of Glasgow-based social enterprise ApparelXchange. Follow them on Instagram @apparelxchange. 

This episode is the sister to:

• Ep. #206: How to Sew More Sustainably for Kids

Photos from the ApparelXchange shop and warehouse:

Many of us experience the sewing and crafting communities as a welcoming haven in which we find self expression, safety and belonging. But just how inclusive are sewing spaces, both virtual and IRL? And how can we build them better? Guest host Kat Camfield is back with an incredible conversation with Frances Andonopoulos, the visionary behind a different kind of sewing school, Sincere Studio in Portland, Oregon. They discuss how Sincere Studio was built from the ground up with everybody and every body in mind, and why only the social enterprise model can work when creating a space that truly serves all members of a community. 

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Kat Camfield is a sewing teacher and sewing retreat organiser living in Victoria, Canada. You can follow Kat on Instagram @cooperativekatsews. 

Hear Kat on previous episodes of CYT:

• Ep. #196: Eco Printing - Kat Camfield with Carly from Lorelei Textile Design
• Ep. #200: Making Check Your Thread - with Zoe & Kat, Part 1
• Ep. #201: Making Check Your Thread - with Zoe & Kat, Part 2
• Ep. #204: The Sewing Machine, A Novel - Kat Camfield with Natalie Fergie 

Frances Andonopoulos is the founder of Sincere Studio in Portland, Oregon. 

You can follow them on Instagram @sincerestudiopdx. 

What does it take to be a self-sufficient maker? How do we acquire our knowledge? And to what extent are we subject to crafting influencers and advertising? This is the second part of my most recent conversation with return guest Shams el-Din Rogers, in which we explore this idea. We also share what’s giving us hope as we push into 2026. 

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Find Shams el-Din Rogers @sepia_textiles on Instagram.

Listen to her on previous episodes of CYT:

• Ep. #32: Textile Activism with Shams el–Din Rogers 
• Ep. #49: Sewing as Art and Political Action with Shams el–Din Rogers
• Ep. #77: Stashes and Spaces with Shams el–Din Rogers
• Ep. #81: Travel, Sustainability and Sewing with Shams el-Din Rogers
• Ep. #142: Values Based Spending and Making with Shams el-Din Rogers
• Ep. #153: The Provenance of Materials and Techniques - Shams with Allie Davies
• Ep. #212: Creativity, Craft & Clutter with Shams el-Din Rogers

Shams is on the board at the Textile Museum of Canada, Toronto.

Shams regularly recommended the seminal book ‘Affluenza’ by Oliver James to her students.  

Watch the trailer for the Japanese film Rashomon, directed by Akira Kurosawa.

Follow Works In Progress Toronto, the collective Shams is a member of, on Instagram (@works.in.progress.to)

During our conversation we references the following previous CYT episodes:

• Ep. #210: How Frugality Builds Community with Mariel Davies
• Ep. #207: Style Shifts and Sustainability with Lindsay Ashworth Fraser

I’m guessing that most of us find that a cluttered crafting space affects our creativity. It can also lead to over buying when you repurchase something you already own but weren’t able to locate. Very good friend of the podcast, Shams el-Din Rogers, is back to talk to me about the tactics she’s been using to get her space and her in check, and the impact that’s having on her creativity. Maybe these are tactics that would work for you….

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Find Shams el-Din Rogers @sepia_textiles on Instagram.

Listen to her on previous episodes of CYT:

• Ep. #32: Textile Activism with Shams el–Din Rogers 
• Ep. #49: Sewing as Art and Political Action with Shams el–Din Rogers
• Ep. #77: Stashes and Spaces with Shams el–Din Rogers
• Ep. #81: Travel, Sustainability and Sewing with Shams el-Din Rogers
• Ep. #142: Values Based Spending and Making with Shams el-Din Rogers
• Ep. #153: The Provenance of Materials and Techniques - Shams with Allie Davies

Shams is on the board at the Textile Museum of Canada, Toronto.

Shams’s favourite embroidery designers:

• Krista West of Avlea Folk Embroidery 
• Nuri of Shaded Stitchery

Listen to Shams on the Black Women Stitch’s podcast, Stitch Please:

• Ep. #123: Don’t Trash It, Sew It!!: Sustainable Creativity with Shams el-Din Rogers

Whether or not you’re a New Year’s Resolutions kind of person, setting some intentions about what you’d like more or less of in your life as you head into a new year can feel really positive. All of us want to spend more time making and being creative, and less time being sold to. My guest, Hayley from Sew Hayley Jane, and I discuss the issues faced by makers and small business owners when it comes to navigating social media, and Hayley makes some great suggestions that we can all apply today to spend more of 2026 doing the things that bring us joy. 

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Read more about Puff and Pencil’s ‘Hands First January’ challenge. 

Find Hayley on Instagram @sewhayleyjane and discover the Thready Set Go community that she runs. 

Hayley loves the Fold Line, especially their ‘New In’ section, for discovering new potential sewing projects.  

A recent project that helped Hayley level up her skills was the Falconer Pants by Helen’s Closet Patterns:

Do you want to feel more connected to the place you live and the people who also live there? Then consider not buying new fabric. My guest, Berlin-based Mariel Davies, chooses to live a frugal lifestyle, both to reduce waste, and to create and deepen her connections with others. We also discuss the gamification of resource acquisition, and her radical approach to gift giving. 

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Follow Mariel on Instagram (@a_to_zerowaste)

Learn more about Holly McQuillan’s Spiral trousers on the Zero Waste Design Collective’s website.

ZW designer Liz Haywood has explored historical pattern making and tessellating sleeves. All the ‘A Year of Zero Waste’ zines and book are available on Liz’s Etsy shop, and January’s FREE instalment can be downloaded via her ‘The Craft of Clothes’ blog.

Learn more about writer Mark Boyle, AKA The Moneyless Man. 

Bea Johnson is the author of ‘Zero Waste Home: The Ultimate Guide to Simplifying Your Life by Reducing Your Waste’.

Follow green-living activist Robin Greenfield on Instagram (@robin.greenfield). 

The @destash4palestine account is a great source for genuinely pre-loved dressmaking fabric. 

Edinburgh-based mending legend, Mary Morton, can be found @edinburghstreetstitchers and @mvm13 on Instagram.

Learn about the Lutterloh pattern system. 

Whether or not you plan to participate in the Winter of Care and Repair challenge, we all have items we’re responsible for maintaining. Although, if you’re anything like me, there might be things you don’t even notice that are well within your control to improve, and will make your life better as a result. In this episode, we hear from a bunch of amazing CYT Patrons about what items they intend to fix over the coming season and how they plan to do it, to provide inspiration for the rest of us. 

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Image source: Kwon Junho via Unsplash

Access and download the FREE WOCAR tracker sheet. 

The Winter of Care and Repair challenge was invented by Jeanna Wigger. Jeanna can be found @thepeoplesmending on Instagram. Jeanna also has an excellent Substack which includes this explainer about WOCAR. 

Listen to my previous conversations with Jeanna:

• Ep. #115: Winter of Care and Repair with Jeanna Wigger
• Ep. #132: A Season of Mending with Jeanna Wigger
• Ep. #135: How to Triage Your Mends with Jeanna Wigger
• Ep. #163: How to Effect Change This Winter with Jeanna Wigger
• Ep. #190: The Four Tendencies and Sewing with Jeanna, Kim & Lise 
• Ep. #191: Stitch It, Don’t Ditch It with Mary Morton & Jeanna Wigger
• Ep. #208: Challenging Consumption and Perfectionism with Jeanna Wigger

Find and order Jeanna’s book written with Mary Morton, ‘Stitch it, Don't Ditch it’. 

Watch the tutorial by Arkdefo for the reusable party hats that Mary Morton mentioned. 

Addams Family Stitches by Yonah and Rebecca:

PSA: The Winter of Care and Repair challenge is kicking off on 21st December! I used its imminence as an excuse to talk to the challenge’s creator, mending expert and author Jeanna Wigger, about the wider impact participating has had for her. Jeanna tells me how it’s helped her shift her consumption habits, challenge her perfectionism and reframe her ideas around productivity. Maybe it will do something similar for you! 

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Access and download the FREE WOCAR tracker sheet. 

Photo credit: Elaine Pieczonka. 

Jeanna Wigger can be found @thepeoplesmending on Instagram. Jeanna also has an excellent Substack which includes this explainer about WOCAR. 

Listen to my previous conversations with Jeanna:

• Ep. #115: Winter of Care and Repair with Jeanna Wigger
• Ep. #132: A Season of Mending with Jeanna Wigger
• Ep. #135: How to Triage Your Mends with Jeanna Wigger
• Ep. #163: How to Effect Change This Winter with Jeanna Wigger
• Ep. #190: The Four Tendencies and Sewing with Jeanna, Kim & Lise 
• Ep. #191: Stitch It, Don’t Ditch It with Mary Morton & Jeanna Wigger

Find and order Jeanna and Mary’s book, ‘Stitch it, Don't Ditch it’:

Katrina Rodabaugh, author of ‘Mending Matters’, played a key role in Jeanna’s mending journey. 

Jeanna’s men(D)iagram! Click through to read her explanation. 

We all experience shifts in our personal style. Usually, those shifts are gradual, but occasionally they can happen rapidly. My friend, freelance musician and singer, Lindsay Ashworth Fraser and I are both at a style crossroads ourselves. In this episode, we talk about where we’ve found ourselves stylistically, what brought us here, what’s next and how to ethically pass on the items that are no longer serving us. 

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Lindsay Ashworth Fraser can be found @lindsayashworthfraser on Instagram.

You might have heard Lindsay in the previous episodes:

• Ep. #180: Secrets of Successful Destashing, Part 1 
• Ep. #181: Secrets of Successful Destashing, Part 2

Check out the episode of Love to Sew podcast that got Lindsay thinking about the three-word method of definition your personal style:

• Ep. #108: Create your Dream Wardrobe by Love to Sew podcast

The green jumpsuit Lindsay wore to the cinema to watch Wicked with her choir:

A pattern that was a key turning point in a previous style shift I had was the Luna Pants pattern by Made by Rae:

Is there any point in trying to sew more sustainably for kids when they’re just going to grow out of their clothes in five minutes? Of course there is! And there are a TON of ways to do it. From pattern and fabric selection, to ensuring durability and repairability, in this solo episode we cover ways to create clothes that the kids you’re sewing for will love to wear, for as long as possible. 

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Check out related episodes:

• Ep. #11: Sewing Vs Kids
• Ep. #33: Encouraging Kids to Sew
• Ep. #75: Go Recreate with Linnea Larsson
• Ep. #122: Zero Waste Sewing for Kids with Liz Elliot

Apple Tree Pattern Co. has a ton of ‘Grow With Me’ styles, including this cool Dolman hoodie pattern:

Check out the ‘outgrown’ extend system by Columbia clothing company:

Buttonhole elastic is great for making adjustable waistbands:

My son’s ‘Pig from Bunny Vs Monkey’ World Book Day costume with leggings that he now uses as PJ bottoms:

The ‘Looshkin’ costume that became a regular sweatshirt when the white tummy was removed:

No shame in buying a ready made patch to make a garment more wearable to a child!

Does shopping for natural fibres and more sustainable fabrics mean that you’re limited to solid colours in muted tones? Do you have to ignore your love of vibrant colour and bold prints? My guest today would answer “NO!” to both these questions. Tanya Brooman from Bornella Fabrics tells me about the sustainability ethos that underpins her fabric business, and what most frustrates her about the fabric industry today.

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Tanya Brooman is the owner of Bornella Fabrics. You can also follow them on Instagram @bornellafabrics. 

Tanya appeared in the previous episodes:

• Ep. #110: Knitting & Stitching Show 2023
• Ep. #144: London Destash Fabric Swap 2024
• Ep. #202: London Fabric Swap 2025

Tanya has a useful webpage on ‘Sustainable Fabric Lowdown’. 

If developments in fabric production interest you, check out this episode:

• Ep. #50: The Future of Fabrics

Guest interviewer, Kat Camfield, is talking to author Natalie Fergie about Natalie’s incredible historical novel, The Sewing Machine. Based on real, historical events that took place at the Singer Sewing Machine factory in Scotland, the novel follows two families: one belonging to a worker at the factory who went on strike, the other belonging to the owner of one of the sewing machines that the striker helped make. If you’re interested in sewing as a lens through which to look at social history, then you’re going to find this conversation fascinating. Natalie and Kat also geek out over vintage sewing machines and their sizable collections!

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Kat Camfield is a sewing teacher and sewing retreat organiser living in Victoria, Canada. You can follow Kat on Instagram @cooperativekatsews. 

Hear Kat on previous episodes of CYT:

• Ep. #196: Eco Printing - Kat Camfield with Carly from Lorelei Textile Design
• Ep. #200: Making Check Your Thread - with Zoe & Kat, Part 1
• Ep. #201: Making Check Your Thread - with Zoe & Kat, Part 2

Learn more about author Natalie Fergie and her books: The Sewing Machine and 25 Library Terrace:

Watch the silent film ‘Birth of a Sewing Machine’ from 1934. 

Look up the model and age of vintage sewing machines via the International Sewing Machine Collectors’ Society website. 

As a garment sewer conscious of waste, you know how quickly fabric scraps leftover from your projects can build up. But imagine you run an entire clothing brand range committed to saving and using up every piece of scrap. Designers Birgitta Helmersson and Sam Grose tell me about their brand, Helgrose, that operates in precisely this way. Plus, they’ve just written an awesome new book that shares the main three methods they use for turning fabric scraps into desirable, wearable pieces, so you can do the same at home. 

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Birgitta Helmersson and Sam Grose design and make clothing and accessories for their joint brand, Helgrose.

Birgitta is, of course, best known in the sewing community for her Zero Waste sewing patterns. 

Listen to Birgitta’s previous episodes:

• Ep. #54: A Journey to Zero Waste with Birgitta Helmersson
• Ep. #55: The Challenges of Zero Waste Design with Birgitta Helmersson
• Ep. #98: Zero Waste Patterns Book with Birgitta Helmersson

Birgitta and Sam have written a new book, ‘Sewing with Scraps’, buy it online here. 

This is Birgitta’s second book, her first is ‘Zero Waste Patterns’. 

Zero Waste pattern designer, Liz Haywood, has an excellent blog where she often reviews ZW sewing patterns created by other designers. 

Check out the amazing sofa they recovered using fabric scraps:

The Cloth Lab is Birgitta and Sam’s creative hub where they host workshops. 

As well as Liz Haywood, Birgitta is also a fan of ZW clothing design company, Decode. 

Birgitta and Sam love both Sway based in LA (including their community dye bath)

Studio 234+ in Malmö.

Other CYT episodes about scraps:

• Ep. #4: My 5 Favourite Scrap Projects 
• Ep. #103: Swimming in a Sea of Scraps with Meg Grandstaff
• Ep. #116: Improv Scrap Play with Sherri Lynn Wood
• Ep. #127: Scrap Strategies, Part 1
• Ep. #128: Scrap Strategies, Part 2

Do you fancy coming with me on a little vicarious trip to a fabric swap? A couple of weeks ago I attended the London fabric swap organised by Yvette from Stash Hub app and Tanya from Bornella fabrics. I recorded a bunch of little conversations with both of them and lots of the attendees, so you can get the skinny on what it was like to organise the event and to attend and swap sewing supplies there.

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Organised by Tanya from Bornella Fabrics and Yvette from Stash Hub App:

Listen to previous episodes about fabric swaps: 

• Ep. #144: London Destash Fabric Swap 2024
• Ep. #182: How to Organise a Fabric Swap with Nike Baruwa 

Here my previous conversation with attendee Mel Keane:

• Ep. #152: Sewing for Stillness and Community with Mel Keane

The fabric swap organised by Surrey Sews (@surreysews on Instagram) is taking place on 8th November. 

Are you ready for a second dose of behind the scenes podcast and sewing chat? Guest interviewer Kat Camfield and I continue our conversation. We get into the joys of Patreon and how it’s evolved for creators, what my own favourite podcasts to listen to are (none of which are about sewing!) and what my favourite sewing snack is (spoiler: it’s actually a liquid!). Plus! Kat has a surprise for me…

Kat Camfield is a sewing teacher and sewing retreat organiser living in Victoria, Canada. You can follow Kat on Instagram @cooperativekatsews. 

Hear Kat on previous episodes of CYT:

• Ep. #196: Eco Printing - Kat Camfield with Carly from Lorelei Textile Design
• Ep. #200: Making Check Your Thread - with Zoe & Kat, Part 1

Author Mary Morton got in touch with her co-author Jeanna Wigger after hearing her on an episode of CYT. Together they wrote the amazing book ‘Stitch it, Don't Ditch it’.

Hear them talk to me about the experience here:

• Ep. #191: Stitch It, Don’t Ditch It with Mary Morton and Jeanna Wigger

You can find Check Your Thread on Instagram, @checkyourthread. Please head over and say hi!

Podcasts I listen to regularly:

• The Adam Buxton Podcast
• Death, Sex & Money
• Heavyweight
• The Secrets Hotline 
• Savage Lovecast 

The sewing machine I have is a Janome DKS30 (in orange):

The previous guests who kindly submitted a comment to celebrate the 200th episode milestone are:

• Numba Pinkerton
• Skye Pennant 
• Jeanna Wigger
• Meg Grandstaff

This week’s episode is the 200th episode! To mark this podcasting milestone, I had the honour of being quizzed by previous-guest interviewer, Kat Camfield. This week’s and next week’s episodes are basically a full-on behind the scenes chat about how this podcast gets made and what it's taught me. Today you’ll hear about what I’ve deliberately changed about the podcast since I started it, what I would have been unable to predict four years ago, and what has surprised me about life as a podcaster. 

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Kat Camfield is a sewing teacher and sewing retreat organiser living in Victoria, Canada. You can follow Kat on Instagram @cooperativekatsews. 

Kat did an incredible job interviewing eco printer Carly:

• Ep. #196: Eco Printing - Kat Camfield with Carly from Lorelei Textile Design

Hear more about the underlying manifesto of this podcast:

• Ep. #71: Making Personal Manifestos with Kim Witten

We're talking about the curation of a successful, handmade wardrobe and how to select sewing projects with care so that you’re creating items that reflect who you are and that say what you want them to say. We’ll also consider how style trends factor into creating a more sustainable wardrobe, and how to make sure your garment projects will be suitable for the life you really lead. This episode has been taken for the talk I gave at the Fold Line’s Sewing Weekender earlier this year, and it aligns so well with the goal of this podcast that I wanted to give it an airing here too. 

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Image by Priscilla Du Preez via Unsplash

For more guidance on garment fitting, please listen to the following episodes:

• Ep. #95: Refining Fit with Kate Roberts 
• Ep. #96: Pattern Fitting Q&A with Kate Roberts 
• Ep. #178: What you Should Know about Fitting with Kate Roberts 

If you’ve somehow missed what the wardrobe challenge Me-Made-May is all about, here’s a super quick explainer:

• Ep. #177: Me-Made-May Explained in Under 5 Minutes

You can access Love to Sew Podcast’s free Design Your Dream Wardrobe Worksheet when you sign up to their newsletter. 

Hear about Judith Staley’s discoveries when she tracked her wardrobe for an entire year:

• Ep. #179: The Five Fabrics Rule with Judith Staley

Clothing tracking apps include:

• Whering
• WearTracker (link to iOS)
• Indyx

You probably think that working with a stylist, particularly once you’ve had your colours analysed, would involve them then trying to convince you to buy, or in our case make, a load of new clothes. That’s what I’ve always assumed. But over the summer I got to catch up with previous guest, stylist Numba Pinkerton, in real life in her home in Scotland. Our conversation proved that my assumption, at least as far as she’s concerned, is wrong. We start our conversation back where we left off previously, talking about colour analysis. Numba offers something of a cheat sheet for working with your colours, including how and when to ignore them. We then move on to talking about shopping strategically, and all her advice translates so well to sewing strategically; it’s super useful stuff. Her ultimate message: it’s ok to pass!

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Find out more about Numba’s work at her website, and you can follow her on Instagram (@stylemeflawless). 

Learn more about Numba’s community, The Style Circle. 

Hear Numba’s previous previous appearance on CYT:

• Ep. #188: Stop Wearing Black! Colour Choice with Numba Pinkerton

This episode is from Zoe’s other podcast: Can I Dig It? - Food Growing for Busy People. If you’ve grown, foraged, bought or received a large amount of fresh produce, here’s how to deal with it and not let it go to waste!

Check out the Can I Dig It Podcast's Patreon page!

Can I Dig It? is made by: 

• Pippa Chapman, @pippachapman_thoseplantpeople on Instagram, and Pippa Chapman Permaculture on YouTube.
• Zoe Edwards, @sozoblog and @checkyourthread on Instagram, and visit the Check Your Thread website and find the podcast in your favourite app. 

If you’re in the UK and have a TV licence, you can see Pippa’s appearance on Gardener’s World via iPlayer. 

Pippa uses an Excalibur dehydrator, specifically the Excalibur 9-tray Dehydrator With Timer In Black

Fermentation expert, Sam Cooper, is @chef.sam.black on Instagram. His book, The Fermentation Kitchen, is on Zoe’s Christmas list. 

‘Slow Bolt’ AKA ‘Long-Standing’ and ‘Santos’ are coriander varieties that are slower to go to seed. 

‘Green Aroma’ is Pippa´s favourite variety of coriander 

Great sources for fruit trees are:

• Ashridge
• Blackmoor
• Or your local trusted garden centre may do bare root fruit orders.

You are probably aware of natural dyeing, but have you heard of eco printing? As we’ll hear in this episode, eco printing comes under the umbrella of natural dyeing but the process involves taking botanicals in the original form and using them to print onto fabric in patterns created according to how they’re arranged. This episode has been made for CYT by friend of the podcast, Kat Camfield, who is a sewing teacher and sewing retreat organiser living in Victoria, Canada. Kat spoke to Carly, an eco printer and natural dyer who creates amazing handmade garments and accessories using secondhand textiles. They talk about the hows and whys of eco printing, its role in more sustainable clothing communities and lots more. 

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Kat and Carly.

Kat Camfield is a sewing teacher and sewing retreat organiser living in Victoria, Canada. You can follow Kat on Instagram @cooperativekatsews. 

Kat interviewed Carly from Lorelei Textile Design. You can follow Carly on Instagram @loreleitextiledesign. 

Carly with her stunning market stall.

Maiwa is a source for dye stuffs and printing supplies based in Vancouver, Canada. 

Carly teaches workshops at the Horticulture Centre of the Pacific in Victoria, Canada. 

Carly’s book recommendations:

• Eco Colour by India Flint
• The Modern Natural Dyer by Kristine Vejar
• Wild Colour by Jenny Dean 
• Natural Dyes by Dominique Cardon 
• The Art and Science of Natural Dyes by Joy Boutrup and Catharine Ellis 

Botanica Tinctoria sell natural dyed trims and threads:

Green Matters Natural Dye Co. is a US-based dye house that has scaled up the process. 

Have you ever tried pattern hacking? By which I mean, making changes to a sewing pattern to create a garment that looks slightly, or wildly, different to the original design. This episode is a wide ranging introduction to the topic. Whether you are new to this practice, or are a more seasoned ‘hacker’, by the end of this you should feel emboldened by the infinite possibilities!  

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

One way of thinking about pattern hacking is by breaking it down into these three approaches:

1. Pattern-first - that is Choosing a pattern you own and considering how you can alter it to come up with a different look
2. Style-first - that is finding inspiration for a garment from elsewhere, then looking through your patterns to find a good candidate to hack to get close to that inspiration.
3. Frankensteining - taking two existing sewing patterns, or the parts of existing sewing patterns, and splicing them together to create a different looking garment. 

My Fibre Mood Ermine/Norma Franken-garment is an example of taking the sleeve piece from one pattern and the bodice from another to create a new look.

Suggested equipment for pattern hacking:

• Large format paper / pattern cutting or drafting paper / the dot and cross type or plain. Also consider large sheets of paper from an art shop or printing shop, the back of wide rolls of wrapping paper or rolls of paper from a business that regularly prints out plans and so on
• Some kind of ruler or set square (a metre or yard ruler is also super helpful)
• Pattern weights or pins
• Sharp pencils 
• Paper scissors
• Some kind of tape such as scotch, masking or washi tape
• Tape measure

Could you sew only with second hand fabric? No more fabric shopping, only thrifting and receiving donations. Would that feel frustrating, or would it unlock some inner creativity and resourcefulness? Space scientist and passionate maker, Rachel Kirby, sews almost exclusively within this limitation, and she shares how and why it works for her. 

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Rachel Kirby can be found on her website, @fibre.and.space on Instagram and @GeoPlaneteer on Twitter. 

Rachel’s self-designed Solar System jumper went viral!

Rachel was inspired by Samantha @pippy_eve on Instagram to try her hand at sewing her first garment by using the Justine skirt pattern by Ready to Sew and some cotton fabric she found at an op shop.

The only piece of from-the-bolt fabric Rachel has used for herself was to make some Arenite pants, pattern by Sew Liberated. 

Image source: Rachel Kirby

Listen to Episode 69: Making Mindfully with Judy Williment-Ross.

Rachel’s TNT (‘tried and tested’, or ‘tried and true’) patterns:

• Hinterland dress pattern by Sew Liberated
• Gilbert top pattern by Helen’s Closet 
• Yanta Overalls by Helen’s Closet 

Image source: Rachel Kirby

A garment project that fails because it’s made from unsuitable fabric is both heartbreaking and costly. But navigating the selection available in fabric shops and online can feel overwhelming, particularly if you’re new to garment sewing, or have recently returned after some years. So in this solo episode, we’re going back to the basics of fabric. We’ll be laying the foundations on which to build our knowledge of fabric types, and what garment styles each fabric is suitable for. 

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

The downloadable PDF version of this episode, which includes lots of additional information, tips and images, can be found in the CYT online shop.  

How does the space we create in affect the resources we collect, and vice versa? And why did the Ikea look become the default, acceptable aesthetic for spaces dedicated to sewing? Textile activist Shams el-Din Rogers and I have a fun and thought-provoking conversation about fabric stashes, storage and space. As always, Shams brings her insight and wisdom as we explore many of the implications of these topics as they relate to sustainability, and we compare notes as an American and a European. 

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Find Shams el-Din Rogers on Instagram @shamseldinrogers.

Listen to her on other episodes of CYT:

• Ep.#32: Textile Activism with Shams el-Din Rogers 
• Ep.#49: Sewing as Art and Political Action with Shams el-Din Rogers
• Ep. #142: Values Based Spending and Making with Sham el-Din Rogers
• Ep. #153: The Provenance of Materials and Techniques - Shams with Allie Davies

I also highly recommend checking out Shams’ episode on Stitch Please: the Black Women Stitch podcast, Ep.#123: Don’t Trash it! Sew it!: Sustainable Creativity with Shams el-Din Rogers. 

Explore ‘Works in Progress Toronto’ via their website and on Instagram @works.in.progress.to.

Instagram based contests that Shams is participating in:

#lastsewiststanding created by @miss.taeschli.

#whole30fabricchallenge created by @pinkmimosabyjacinta.

Textile Museum of Canada is in Toronto and has a truly epic-looking shop!

Shams recently bought some issues of Tauko magazine.

Check out two blog posts I made including round-ups of free kid’s patterns:

• My Favourite Free Children’s Sewing Patterns 
• Fab Free Kids’ Patterns for 6 and Up.

Listen to the episodes Shams referenced about sewing for and with kids:

• Ep.#11: Kids Vs. Sewing 
• Ep.#33: Encouraging Kids to Sew

I use the the basic version of the Trello app to catalogue and manage my fabric stash and project ideas. 

Shams’ goal is based on the 2-door Pax wardrobes made by Ikea.

A new mending book is about to land in bookshops around the globe, and it’s something really special. It’s the creation of regular CYT guest and mending expert, Jeanna Wigger, and super experienced mending volunteer and organiser, Mary Morton. In this episode, we’re going to hear all about how this excellent book came to be written by two women who had never even met each other, and exactly what makes ‘Stitch it, Don’t Ditch it’ so significant in the mending book genre. 

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Jeanna Wigger can be found @thepeoplesmending on Instagram. Jeanna also has an excellent Substack. 

Mary Morton can be found @edinburghstreetstitchers and @mvm13 on Instagram

Listen to my previous conversations with Jeanna:

• Ep. #115: Winter of Care and Repair with Jeanna Wigger
• Ep. #132: A Season of Mending with Jeanna Wigger
• Ep. #135: How to Triage Your Mends with Jeanna Wigger
• Ep. #163: How to Effect Change This Winter with Jeanna Wigger
• Ep. #190: The Four Tendencies and Sewing with Jeanna, Kim & Lise 

Mary volunteers at the Shrub Coop, a ZW charity based in Edinburgh, Scotland (@shrubcoop on Instagram). 

Find and pre-order their new book, ‘Stitch it, Don't Ditch it’:

Suzi Warren is the creator of the Street Stitching movement:

Mary was a guest of the long running Woman´s Hour BBC radio show. 

Mary and Jeanna regularly recommend the ‘Repair What You Wear’ website to would-be menders. Also @RepairWhatYouWear on YouTube. 

They made the following videos mentioned in the episode:

• A Guide to Teaching Mending Skills
• How to thread a needle (right handed)
• How to thread a needle (left handed)

How do you respond to expectations? How easy is it for you to get things done, both the things that are asked of you, and the things you want to achieve yourself? And how does that play out in your sewing and creative life? We’re taking a deep dive into the Four Tendencies framework devised by writer and podcaster, Gretchen Rubin. Understanding how we, and those around us operate, can be so useful in achieving our goals. We look at each of the tendencies and talk to a well-known previous CYT guest about how their tendency impacts their crafting. 

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Read about the Four Tendencies and take the Four Tendencies Quiz, created by Gretchen Rubin. 

My Obliger guest is Jeanna Wigger (@thepeoplesmending on Instagram). Jeanna also has an excellent Substack. 

Listen to my previous conversations with Jeanna:

• Ep. #115: Winter of Care and Repair with Jeanna Wigger
• Ep. #132: A Season of Mending with Jeanna Wigger
• Ep. #135: How to Triage Your Mends with Jeanna Wigger
• Ep. #163: How to Effect Change This Winter with Jeanna Wigger

Jeanna referenced ‘Better Than Before’, Gretchen’s book about habit change:

My Questioner guest is Kim Witten, visit her website and follow her on Instagram (@witten.kim). 

Listen to my previous conversation with Kim:

• Ep. #71: Making Personal Manifestos with Kim Witten
• Ep. #91: Self Knowledge for Sewing Success with Kim Witten
• Ep. #92: Self Coaching for Sewing Success with Kim Witten
• Ep. #110: Zoe & Kim go to the Stitch Festival
• Ep. #162: How to Solve Your Next Sewing Problem with Kim Witten

Sign up to Kim’s excellent, free, weekly newsletter. 

Learn more about the Pomodoro productivity technique on the Undo podcast:

• Ep. #4: The tomato of productivity - the Pomodoro Technique

My Rebel guest is Lise Bauer, who posts about her personal projects on Instagram @miss.taeschli, and hosts the Last Sewist Standing and other community projects via @the.craft.camp on Instagram.

Listen to my previous conversation with Lise:

• Ep. #118: Last Sewist Standing with Lise Bauer
• Ep. #164: Sewing Wins and Fails with Lise & Meg
• Ep. #189: Are Zoe & Lise Still in Last Sewist Standing?

Last Sewist Standing, for those who may be new to this podcast, is the no-buy sewing supplies challenge created by Lise Bauer. The challenge is in its fifth year, and 2025 is my second time participating. It’s time for a catch up with Lise, and to answer the question that no one is asking: are Lise and myself still in the running???

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Find my new podcast ‘Can I Dig It? Food Growing for Busy People’ wherever you listen to podcasts!

Visit the CIDI Patreon which you can JOIN FOR FREE!!!!!

Find Lise and the Last Sewist Standing challenge updates at @the.craft.camp on Instagram. 

Check out Lise’s personal account @miss.taeschli on Instagram.

View the IG posts relating to the #lastsewiststanding challenge.

Listen to Lise discuss the challenge in the previous episode:

• Ep. #118: Last Sewist Standing with Lise Bauer

I bought some excellent pre-loved fabric from the @destash4palestine account. 

Destash for palestine

I bought some Fluro Indian Dobby Cotton fabric from Merchant & Mills:

I intend to make a top using the Vali Top & Dress pattern by Pattern Fantastique (available in paper form from Fabric Godmother in the UK). 

I’m seriously considering buying the Palazzo Pants pattern by Sasha Starlight. 

Have you ever made a garment that you thought you were going to love, but ended up rarely reaching for it because you’ve realised that the colours drains you, or somehow makes you feel meh? It’s so disheartening when that happens. So this week I’m talking to stylist and colour consultant, Numba Pinkerton, about how to make successful colour choices for our garment projects, and the rest of our wardrobes. Plus, Numba tells us why most of us should remove the black holes from our clothing selections!

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Find out more about Numba’s work at her website, and you can follow her on Instagram (@stylemeflawless). 

You can sign up to Numba’s weekly newsletter at the bottom of the homepage on her website, and check out her e-book, ‘The No Black Project’. 

If you are interested in studying colour analysis, Numba recommends checking out the London College of Style which offers an online Advanced Diploma in Colour Analysis for Creatives. 

How do I resist temptation whilst working in a fabric shop? Do I feel conflicted working for a fabric company whilst also personally promoting a reduction in consumption? Just two of the fun and occasionally spicy questions posed to me when I was invited to chat with attendees in the Virtual Sewing Room at the beginning of the year.

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

My blouse that I rarely wear because I feel the base colour doesn’t look good on me:

Learn about the Last Sewist Standing challenge: 

• Ep. #118: Last Sewist Standing with Lise Bauer

The Whole 30 Fabric Challenge is hosted by @pinkmimosabyjacinta. 

We heard about the Five Fabrics rule in:

• Ep. #179: The Five Fabrics Rule with Judith Staley

Yet again, I mentioned the Four Tendencies framework devised by Gretchen Rubin. 

The discussion about deadstock fabrics:

• Ep. #151: Explaining Deadstock Fabric with The New Craft House

Can we reduce consumption whilst still supporting small business?:

• Ep. #143: No Small Business on a Dead Planet

An alternative way to be a small business in the sewing industry:

• Ep. #156: How to Run and Ethical Textiles Shop with Bevan O’Daly

My response to one particularly spicy email:

• Ep. #107: Sewing is Political

Read more about B Corp Certification for businesses. 

What do sewing machine repair and servicing professionals do that you can’t do yourself at home? And what CAN you do at home to make problems with your machine less likely? And what noises coming from your machine should you definitely NOT ignore? These are just some of the many questions that sewing machine technician, Bizz McKilligan, answers for us today. I first spoke to Bizz over a year ago when she’d just started up her sustainability-focused sewing store, The Green Thimble. She gives us an update on how it’s going and what she’s learnt over that time.   

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

You can learn online about sewing machine maintenance and repair via Sewing Doc Academy. 

Bizz McKilligan in her self-made hoodie!:

Bizz McKilligan is the owner of The Green Thimble, an online and bricks and mortar sewing shop in Victoria, Canada, that helps to recirculate existing sewing resources. Here’s their new logo:

Follow them on Instagram @thegreenthimble.ca.

Listen to Bizz’s first appearance on CYT:

• Ep. #120: How to care for your sewing machine with Bizz McKilligan

If you rely on a needle threader but your machine’s one keeps breaking, Bizz recommends purchasing an external needle threader like this one:

Check out Bizz’s incredible self made knit dress that she made for, and wore at, a Frocktails event:

For most of us who sew our own clothes, basic garment repairs are not often a huge challenge. However, encountering knit items that are thinning or have holes? That can feel like a whole other ball game, especially if you’re not a knitter. In this episode professional repairer, educator and author, Skye Pennant, teaches us our scotch darn from our honeycomb darn, and shares her sometimes controversial opinions on the best type of threads to use for mending. 

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Photo credit: Kim Lightbody

Skye Pennant created Slow Stitch Club as a focus for her mending activities and business. Find the website, Instagram (@slowstitchclub), YouTube channel and the Slow Stitch Club Patreon. 

Listen to Skye on last week’s episode:

• Ep. #184: Mending and Overcoming Perfectionism with Skye Pennant

Skye wrote a book! ‘Well Worn: visible mending for the clothes you love’  is available through her website and elsewhere:

Some examples of knitwear repairs by Skye:

On Skye’s advice, I successfully mended my socks using the honeycomb darn technique:

Believing that we won’t be great at something can hold some of us back from giving it a go in the first place. And for those who are confirmed perfectionists, this belief can be even more of a barrier. Skye Pennant, creator of Slow Stitch Club, is a professional mender, mending educator and author, but suffers daily with perfectionism and imposter syndrome. If you experience those tendencies yourself, Skye has some wonderful advice about how to overcome them and become the visible mender you always hoped you’d be! 

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Photo credit: Celie Nigoumi

Skye Pennant created Slow Stitch Club as a focus for her mending activities and business. Find the website, Instagram (@slowstitchclub), YouTube channel and the Slow Stitch Club Patreon. 

The Seam is a UK-based company that matches menders with clients requiring repairs for their item/s. 

Skye wrote a book! ‘Well Worn: visible mending for the clothes you love’  is available through her website and elsewhere:

A chance discovery of a speed weave darning loom in a junk shop kicked off Skye’s fascination with mending:

Skye’s favourite mending book is ‘Mend it!: A Complete Guide to Clothes Repair’ by Maureen Goldsworthy, published in 1980.

Millie Moon is a fabric and haberdashery shop in Frome, Somerset, UK, that has been a big supporter of Skye and her work.  

We’ve been talking about reducing our fabric stashes so we can feel well stocked, but not overwhelmed. But once we’ve passed on the pieces of fabric that we honestly can’t see ourselves sewing, what are we meant to do with what’s left? How can we store it so that its contents are both accessible AND inspiring to us? I’ve developed an organisation method that I call the Seasonal Stash System. In this episode, I explain how it works so you can weigh up if it’s something that might work for you. 

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

(image source: Mel Poole via Unsplash)

**CLICK HERE TO ACCESS THE FREE DOWNLOADABLE PDF VERSION OF THIS GUIDE**

During the last few episodes we’ve been talking about reducing our fabric stashes: the idea being that our collection would then make us feel well stocked but not encumbered. But once you’ve selected the pieces that you can’t honestly see yourself sewing, what are you meant to do with them? There are a number of options, but fabric swaps have got to be one of the most fun AND most ethical ways of passing on what you no longer want. You might even pick up some new-to-you fabric that you’re inspired by, or even a couple of new sewing buddies! But if there aren’t any fabric swaps taking place in your location already, it might be on you to organise one. My guest this week, Nike Baruwa, is a maker who recently did just that for the very first time. I spoke with Nike before and after her fabric swap, and she shares what planning and considerations went into hers, and we’ll hear how it actually went! If you’re interested, or even on the fence, about planning a fabric swap, let Nike and this episode be your guide. 

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Follow Nike on Instagram (@sewlonglane). 

Nike was inspired to organise a fabric swap after visiting the London Destash Fabric Swap. Listen to the episode I made at that event:

• Ep. #144: London Destash Fabric Swap 2024

The London Destash Fabric Swap was organised by Sarah from Olive Road London and Yvette from Stash Hub app.

Sarah made a helpful YouTube video about how to organise a fabric swap. 

To help create connection and community between the attendees of her fabric swap, Nike created the hashtag #rotherhtithefabricswap.

To get on Nike’s mailing list to hear about next year’s (and any other) event. 

Check out some photos taken at Nike’s fabric swap taken by photographer Wida (@__wida on Instagram):

How do you feel about your fabric collection? If there are any uncomfortable feelings that are preventing you from feeling excited and inspired by what you have, it might be time to consciously reduce how much you own. In Episode #180, we heard from a bunch of lovely CYT listeners who have successfully reduced their fabric stashes, and they shared what mindset shifts and practical steps worked for them. This episode is another installment of the same. 

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Image source: Ekaterina Grosheva via Unsplash)

Listen to Part 1:

• Ep. #180: Secrets of Successful Destashing, Part 1 

Huge thanks to Lindsay Ashworth Fraser (@lindsayashworthfraser on Instagram) for voicing some of the submissions.

Fabric collections elicit all sorts of feelings. Ideally, they're a source of inspiration that gets our creative juices flowing. But for some of us, especially when the amount we own is out of sync with the speed at which we sew, we might grow to feel uncomfortable, embarrassed or even guilty about the resources we’ve accumulated. This episode is Part 1 of a practical deep dive into HOW to do it, so you can reach a point where your fabric stash feels well stocked but NOT overwhelmed. 

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Image source: Ekaterina Grosheva via Unsplash)

Huge thanks to Lindsay Ashworth Fraser (@lindsayashworthfraser on Instagram) for voicing some of the submissions.

As makers, we need materials to create with. And a love of beautiful textiles is often part of why we got into sewing in the first place. But as residents of a planet experiencing a climate and ecological crisis, we need to be mindful of what we’re consuming and how much. So is there a way to indulge in fabric purchasing that’s also inline with what’s best for our planet? My guest this week, Judith Staley, has recently implemented a system for herself that is backed by research called the rule of five, and it could be the answer for all of us! We also talk about Judith’s personal challenge to track everything she wore in 2024, and she shares what surprising and valuable insights she gleaned from it. 

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

You can follow Judith on Instagram (@judithroaslind).

Judith founded and co-hosted the @sewover50 account. 

Listen to Judith’s first appearance on Check Your Thread:

• Ep. #12: Sew Over 50 with Judith Staley

Judith is involved in The Water of Leith Conservation Trust. 

Read more about the Rule of Five as invented/interpretted by Tiffanie Darke. 

Judith discovered the concept via Gemma Metheringham’s excellent IG account, @the_elephant_in_my_wardrobe.

The WRAP NGO is an excellent source of information about the impact of consumption, and how we can move towards a circular economy. 

The Hot Or Cool Institute is the source of the research that informed the Rule of Five. 

Read more about Judith’s interpretation of the Rule of Five. 

One tactic for reducing your fabric stash is to participate in the Last Sewist Standing challenge, invented by Lise Bauer. 

Judith makes most of her fabric purchases at Merchant & Mills. 

Hear from Tiffanie Darke about the Rule of Five on this podcast:

• Ep. 4, Season 2 of The Enoughness - Tiffanie Darke: How to be in fashion now, finding purpose, the joy of being less greedy. 

Judith also volunteers at The Remakery in Edinburgh. 

Previous-guest, Wendy Ward (@thatwendyward), is doing interesting work tracking the frequency of wear of her garments.

Check out the 1908 diary (@the1908diary), an account run by Louise (@theknitnurse).

Judith’s quarterly wardrobe tracking updates were posted to Instagram on:

• 2nd April 2024
• 1st July 2024
• 1st October 2024
• 2nd January 2025

Judith’s method for recording her garment wears:

Read the article ‘Forget Fitness Tracking: Wardrobe Tracking is All the Rage in 2024’ by Emily Chan for Vogue, 21st January 2024. 

Those of us who make our own clothes know that taking the time to make a toile or muslin, and altering our sewing patterns to fit our own bodies are steps we ought to take. We know that they’ll result in better fitting garments that we’ll want to wear more often. But these steps can feel like huge hurdles when you don’t know what to do with a toile or muslin once you’ve made it. Drafting and fitting expert, Kate Roberts from Project Patterns, joins us again to answer a ton of questions that will lift the lid on the whole process. By the end of this episode, I all but guarantee that you will have the confidence to give fitting a go. 

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

Find Kate’s business, Project Patterns, via her website, on Instagram @projectpatterns and also on YouTube.

Listen to Kate’s previous episode on CYT, 

• Ep. #95: Refining Fit with Kate Roberts
• Ep. #96: Pattern Fitting Q&A with Kate Roberts

Kate’s preferred ruler for drafting and pattern alteration is a pattern master:

Mine is a large set square!

Kate would describe a tracing wheel as a ‘nice to have’ piece of equipment.

Dot and cross / spot and cross pattern paper can be bought on large rolls making it pretty inexpensive per metre. 

Bella Loves Patterns is a brand that offers two height options for all styles, which might be a handy starting point for those who always have to alter the length of the sewing patterns they wish to make. 

For tall sewers, Sew DIY offers patterns drafted to fit a 5ft 10” body. 

Find out everything about Kate’s community Membership options!

Once again, it’s time to consider participating in Me-Made-May, the annual wardrobe challenge I accidentally started 16 years ago. This episode is a super quick explainer, or refresher, on what the challenge is all about and how you can participate. 

Support the podcast over on Patreon!

For a lengthier, fuller explanation of the challenge, what it is, what it isn’t, how to participate and why you might want to, listen to:

• Ep. #84: What is Me-Made-May?

Visit this page if you’d like to learn more about the Me-Made-May workbook: